This invention lies in the field of combustion apparatus. More particularly, it is concerned with a vertically fired furnace for the combustion of waste combustible gases in a noise-proof and glare-proof manner, to satisfy environmental requirements.
It is further in the field of combustion devices which are out in the open and exposed to current wind flow. Provision must be made for protection from the wind effects so that the combustion is not seriously effected by the pressures and vacuums caused by the flow of the wind over the furnace.
In the conventional vertically oriented furnaces with burner insertion in the side of the furnace wind baffles must be provided to prevent wind force from directly reaching the burners. Such wind baffles do divert the direct wind force from burners but have a disadvantage that can be serious according to the volume of gas being burned. The disadvantages exists because wind impact increases pressure at the upwind surface of the wind baffle in an amount equal to V2/2g energy of the wind, but at the downwind surface pressure is decreased by essentially the same amount.
The upwind pressure increase plus the low downwind pressure causes violent air flow inside the baffle means, which may upset the pressure to the various burners which receive air for combustion from the space inside of the wind baffle. At low gas burning rates, this effect has caused flame to be drawn back out of the burners into the space inside of the wind baffle, where there can be considerable heat damage to the structure. It becomes important, therefore, to so design the wind baffle that a uniform air pressure which is substantially equal to atmospheric pressure is available at the air inlet, so as to supply air uniformly to the combustion flame.